Ocean Lasering

M

Murphs

New Member
Just thought id let you all know that Michael Blackburn is planning to sail across the Bass Strait (where all the damage happens in the sydney to hobart race)

he is planning to leave tomorrow morning and is expecting a nice 16 hour reach in 25+knots

havent heard the full story or seen anything about it on the web, his personal website doesnt mention it
 
cool, i can't remember who it was, probley Jon Emmet & Steve cockrill (rooster sailing) sailed around the isle of wight, of south cost of England.
 
ive found this on Yachts and Yaching's website:

Since early this week, Olympic Medallist Michael Blackburn has been on stand-by for his attempt to sail a Laser dinghy across Australia's Bass Strait. He is set to depart Sunday morning March 6th 2005.

The Laser is the world’s most popular adult sailboat. However, Lasers are only 4.2m long with a single sail and no substantial cockpit, no lifelines, no engine, sailed with one crew and, of course, not designed for such a feat.

The audacity to challenge a dangerous stretch of open water, in such a tiny and seemingly insufficient vessel, must seem insane to an outsider.

Michael and his support team have travelled to Stanley in North West Tasmania to wait for a suitable southerly wind in order to surf on thousands of Bass Strait swells to Victoria.

Located at roughly 40 degrees south latitude, the strait leaves sailors unprotected against the howling winds of the Roaring 40s.

Bass Strait is the 140 nautical miles (252km) of waterway between Tasmania and Australia and is normally only attempted by substantial craft.

The Strait is relatively shallow and captures the weather patterns of higher latitudes.

It is 115 nautical miles (nm) (207km) from Stanley in Tasmania to Tidal River in Victoria. In between is a waterway with one of the fiercest reputations on the planet. A mother ship will follow Michael all the way.

Renowned Australian meteorologist Roger ‘Clouds’ Badham, has been engaged to give the green light. The plan is to wait for a SW-S front to pass through then take off once the breeze is settled.

"I need the wind to blow from the SW to SSE at 14-25 knots to make for a fast crossing. The aim is to sail downwind only. Even with the most favourable conditions, the crossing will take 14 hours. So, depending on the conditions, I expect to depart Stanley in the middle of the night,” Blackburn says.

Latest weather reports indicate south westerly winds with a 2 to 3 metre swell blowing up to 20 knots.

GPS data from sailing a Laser downwind in strong winds suggests that Michael will be able to maintain speeds of 8-12 knots over a long period. Therefore, the trip will take approximately 14-18 hours non-stop.

"The first few hours before dawn will be quite hazardous – cold and windy. I won’t be able to see the waves and will have to sail very conservatively to keep upright and dry. I will be using a hand-held GPS and analogue compass to navigate. Other equipment I’ll carry include an inflatable PFD (life jacket), strobe light, flares, satellite phone, EPIRBs, food and drink, VHF radio and light sticks. The latter two items will help me keep in touch with the support boat."

Sponsors include Estate Master - Hill PDA, The Sailing Scene (supplying the Laser), Ronstan, Queensport Wetsuits, The Wooden Boat Shop and Arthur Brett Sails.

More information at www.sailfitter.com
 
Oh this is an update,

Blackburn’s Bass Strait crossing delayed 24 hours

Australian Olympian Michael Blackburn’s Laser crossing of Bass Strait has been delayed by at least 24 hours.

Closely monitoring the weather condition a decision was made last night to hold off until the weather conditions improve.

With seas rising to five metres and south-south-westerly winds blowing 25-35 knots, Blackburn and his team have decided to put safety first.

Blackburn and his support crew are keen to depart Stanley, in North Western Tasmania in the early hours of Monday morning, weather permitting. The early start is to minimise night sailing.

The waiting game begins.

The destination of Tidal River at Wilson’s Promontory, Victoria as approximately 117 nautical miles (211 km) across Bass Strait.

In preparation for the crossing, Michael has spent many hours sailing a Laser in the large ocean swells outside Sydney Heads. Spectators and competitors of the Farr 40 World Championships fleet spied him over the last couple of weeks.

He completed a number of fresh-wind training runs sailing downwind along the coast, for example, Botany Bay to Sydney Harbour (15nm) to test equipment, navigation and the speed he can maintain over many hours of downwind sailing.

He has also been working out hard in the gym doing aerobic training and has added two kilograms to his frame.

Michael has been sailing Lasers for 14 years and participated in three Olympics in winds up to 50 knots. The boat used is identical to those used in World and Olympic competitions.

Sponsors include Estate Master - Hill PDA, The Sailing Scene (supplying the Laser), Ronstan, Queensport Wetsuits, The Wooden Boat Shop and Arthur Brett Sails.

More information at www.sailfitter.com/basshome.html
 
but probably the most competent laser sailor in the world, ive seen him sail many times and i know he can do it
 
That's really impressing. I know that Bass Strait was the hardest leg when I sailed a 34 footer through there, there were 40 knot winds though.

I can't imagine sailing a Laser in Bass Strait. Port Fairy, where I live now is open to Bass Strait conditions, and the swell is enormous. Sailing down the waves is very fun, but sailing into them is very hard.

Good luck to Blackburn anyway, I haven't seen anything on the tv, i'll buy the newspaper tomorrow and see if there is any news about it.
 
Yeh when we had Tom Slingsby coaching us he was telling me and other training partners about it. He was going to do it with Micheal and so was Nick Skulander but then (apparently) Nick couldn't, so then it was only going to be Tom and Micheal. Then the YA (yaching australia) apparently told him they won't indorse acts of extreme recklessness or something to that effect so he can't do it, so then Tom couldn't do it and it was left up to Micheal! But they where (dont know if they still are) getting sponsered by red bull and tv station TEN in Australia and they where going to film it and make a docummentery (excuse the spelling). Any questions i MIGHT and i repeat MIGHT beable to ask Tom if he knows anything else about it any suggestions?
 
enjoy the metros on the weekend Martin?

Thats a massive feat sailing that far in such a small boat, especially his peak speed of 19.7 knots! makes me want to go ocean sailing
 
Not as much as I should have. A broken top mast and shoulder muscles nearly as badly done saw to that. My inability to stay upright in the 30+ knots we had on Saturday (plus memories of some bad big boat crossings two decades ago) justs put me more in awe of the trip across the strait.
 
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